Odessa.

To Members of the "Majority" of the Odessa Organization Mote and Kosta.

End of September, 1905. Geneva.

Comrades! I have received your "letter to comrades." I shall not publish it, and you are not asking me to.** But I consider it my duty to reply to you. I have already stated in print more than once what I now repeat to you. It is useless to complain and weep about the schism. One must work to eliminate it, think about how to unite, and not collect commonplaces and mournful exclamations.*** To complain about the struggle of two parties and create a third, and a secret one at that, as you did, hiding from both organizations—this means strengthening the schism. If you were expelled for violating the rules of the organization, then this was only right,**** and you are trying in vain to confuse the matter, to present it as though you were expelled for your opinions, for your reconciliationism, and not for your disorganization.

The "Constituent Congress"—an empty phrase. Just think for a moment, even a tiny bit,* what precisely groups and how many representatives should send delegations?? Think just a little bit,** how would people respond to the idea of a Constituent Assembly without the basis of electoral rights? Would they not call this charlatanism??

Why do you keep silent about the idea of two congresses, of majority and minority,* at one time and in one place?? This idea was put forward by the Central Committee and Proletariy. Is it not easier to constitute two congresses from the two existing parties than to first create a third one (on this you will spend months, if not years) and then convene three congresses?? What sort of fool* would submit to the "Constituent Congress" without knowing in advance whether these are really Social Democrats, which exactly Social Democrats, and in what proportion will be represented there???

The slogan "two congresses" speaks in its favor: 1) the agreement of one of the two parties; 2) complete readiness of the majority for a congress and the known norms for its convocation and the rights of its congress; 3) the possibility of achieving the same in the groups and organizations of the other party very quickly: publish all groups, question them, print a draft statute of the congress.

But your slogan—"Constituent Congress"!—has in its favor only the whining of various whiners,** because not a single part of the party knows the foundations of this congress in any respect whatsoever. You are simply people of little faith and weak nerves. [You saw a filthy disease, stinking pimples, and turned away. This is understandable, judging by humanity, but irrational.]*** And we think that one cannot turn away, that*** a third party will lead nowhere, while the two present parties will nonetheless unite, even if not immediately and not without painful operations.

The idea of a constituent congress of the party in 1905 was put forward by D. B. Ryazanov; the Berlin group of Social Democrats led by Kohn solidarized with him.

## APPENDIX

**Letter to Comrades . . .**

. . . Comrades! The past year ought to serve as a bitter lesson for us. It has shown that no agreements between "central institutions" can bring peace to our party, that the steps undertaken by them serve each time only as a pretext for new disputes. We now clearly see that the business of "unification" is the business of all conscious workers . . . Seeing the chaos that now reigns in the organizations, the atmosphere of apathy created by the schism, we peripheral workers declare the following: the only way out of this chaos, in our view, is the convocation of a "Constituent Congress," where all Social Democrats could take part. The recent months, beginning with January 9th, have raised a whole series of questions, have indicated such shortcomings in our movement as require elucidation and resolution not only by one or another faction, but all Social Democratic organizations must take part in the working out of general plans and decisions. We are fully convinced that if a Constituent Congress is convened, on which all Social Democratic organizations are represented, only then will an end be put to the present state of affairs in the party. We believe that only when factional struggle is cast aside and all considerations of legitimacy are discarded can we hope that a congress will be convened that will lay the foundation for a united party. Only such a unified party, rallying all Social Democratic proletarian elements, united with all Social Democratic national organizations, such as: the "Bund," the "Latvian," and the "Polish" Social Democratic Party, will be able to work for the general good of all-Russian proletariat. Only such a party can stand at the head of the struggle against absolutism and achieve that its liquidation be accomplished under the most favorable conditions for the class struggle of the proletariat.

Members of the "Majority" of the Odessa Organization Motya and Kostya.